New plan to remove Jersey's sea lettuce problem gets underway

A new plan to remove sea lettuce is underway in Jersey.

The sea lettuce, which has built up in St Aubin's Bay during the hot weather, is being removed using the landing craft, Normandy Trader.

It will moor at the old lifeboat slipway in St Helier harbour and contractors will take away the sea lettuce by loading it onto trucks.

They will then transport the algae to the landing craft - which will take it out to sea.

Jersey's government currently removes 80 tonnes of sea lettuce per week. That is the maximum amount that can be disposed of at La Collette green waste.

Previous methods of clearing the sea lettuce relied on spring tides. However, the new plan means the work can start this week, during a period of neap tides, making at least two trips per day (previously only one was possible).

The Assistant Manager for Jersey's Infrastructure Department, who came up with the idea, says the team has "tried a number of different methods of clearing sea lettuce".

The department says it will harvest clean green sea lettuce with their Surf-Rake - which is used for spreading on farmland.

The sea lettuce collected by the contractors will be too contaminated for use on farmland though.

Jersey's Minister for Infrastructure says the plan will "make a real difference to the beach".

The growth of sea lettuce is thought to be linked to higher sea temperatures during the spring and increased nutrient availability, which comes from heavy rainfall over the winter.